The agency has high confidence in its assessment, the newspaper reported. The CIA reportedly examined multiple sources of intelligence in reaching its conclusion, including a call between the crown prince’s brother Khalid bin Salman and Khashoggi.

Khalid, who is the Saudi ambassador to the U.S., reportedly told Khashoggi, who was a columnist for The Post, that he should go to the country’s consulate in Istanbul to get documents for his marriage to a Turkish woman, offering assurances that he would be safe.

People familiar with the call, reportedly intercepted by U.S. intelligence, told The Post that it wasn’t clear if Khalid knew Khashoggi would be killed when he returned to the consulate, but said that he made the call at the direction of his brother.

The Saudi government has claimed that the crown prince was not involved in Khashoggi’s death, and a spokesperson for the Saudi Embassy in Washington issued a statement Friday denying that Khalid had any phone conversations with Khashoggi.

"Khalid told Khashoggi, a contributing columnist to The Washington Post, that he should go to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to retrieve the documents and gave him assurances that it would be safe to do so."https://t.co/4sy2crr5uQ